Dean Says Faith Swayed Decision on Gay Unions

Democratic front-runner Howard Dean said Wednesday that his decision as governor to sign the bill legalizing civil unions for gays in Vermont was influenced by his Christian views, as he waded deeper into the growing political, religious and cultural debate over homosexuality and the Bible's view of it.

"The overwhelming evidence is that there is very significant, substantial genetic component to it," Dean said in an interview Wednesday. "From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people."

Dean's comments come as gay marriage is emerging as a defining social issue of the 2004 elections, and one that is dividing the Episcopal Church in the United States and many other Christians and non-Christians. Driving the debate is a theological dispute over the Bible's view on homosexuality and a political one over the secular and spiritual wisdom of allowing gays to marry.

Dean said he does not often turn to his faith when making policy decisions but cited the civil union bill as a time he did. "My view of Christianity . . . is that the hallmark of being a Christian is to reach out to people who have been left behind," he told reporters Tuesday. "So I think there was a religious aspect to my decision to support civil unions."

Earlier Tuesday, when he and the other candidates were asked at a debate whether religion has influenced any of their policy decisions, Dean was the only one not to respond.

In the interview Wednesday, Dean said, "I don't go through an inventory like that when making public policy decisions."

Dean has been expanding on his religious views in a series of conversations with reporters, but his remarks Tuesday and Wednesday were the first time he has talked about how faith has influenced his policymaking.

Dean said he does not consider homosexuality a sin but nonetheless opposes gay marriage.

There's an overt effort here to find a Gotcha! moment on Dean, but it's clear from Dean's statement that he did not evaluate the civil unions bill using a religious litmus test - he is simply stating that religion influences the position of his moral center from which he then applies his reason. Religion is a powerful force and can lead to different views of what is right or wrong - and it's good to admit that religion is an input to that function. Better, Dean makes a religious case for tolerance towards homosexuality, which is quite a neat bit of Dean fu.

UPDATE: AP writer Ross Sneyd (who has a long history of covering Dean in Vermont as Gov) discovers that Dean didn't mention religion when he signed the civil unions bill.